Two of the cinema's biggest cads lock comedic horns in "A touch of larceny" as rivals for the affections of Vera Miles.The impossibly smooth George Sanders vs.the suave and urbane James Mason.Pretend defector James Mason hides a secret file behind a cabinet in his office then disappears to a Scottish island in his boat and waits for the press to name him as a traitor before reappearing expressing surprise and dismay to sue the pants off them.At least,that's the plan. But George Sanders becomes suspicious and it all begins to go pear-shaped for Mr Mason. That's the bare bones of the plot.The superb cast does an awful lot with it.Made at the height of the Cold War when spy fever was pandemic it didn't sound so unlikely at the time.Nice monochrome photography adds to the period feel."A touch of larceny" is a lovely little film,probably of little consequence to the careers of its stars,but I remember it with great affection 45 years after I saw it.
Review of A Touch of Larceny
